Warrants issued for man shot by Monroe Co. deputies

The GBI has identified the Monroe County officer who shot and wounded a suspect Friday.

According to GBI Special Agent in charge Joe Wooten, Sgt. Lawson Bittick is the department's Public Information Officer and the son of Monroe County Sheriff Cary Bittick.

Claire Davis spoke with a neighbor who lives about a block from where the shooting happened.

George Sands lives on a quiet street in Monroe County.

“We hadn't had no high crime rate in this area. My kids play all the time. We don't have no crime rate out here,” said Sands.

But around 3:00 p.m. Friday, Monroe County Sheriff's deputies responded to a home on Johnstonville Road.

“I noticed that the road was blocked off and they were not letting anybody down through there. I kept hearing the sirens,” said Sands.

GBI Special Agent in Charge Joe Wooten says Richard Treadwell came out of his home with a pellet-gun style air pistol, which looks like a large revolver.

The GBI says he pointed it at deputies and that's when Bittick shot him.

“Such unexpected behavior for a real small town. Normally stuff like that doesn't happen here. You come outside and aim a weapon at this cop. Come on now. He has to defend himself I mean he has to go home also,” said Sands.

Wooten says Bittick is on administrative leave while the GBI investigates the shooting, he says that is normal protocol. Two other officers were on the scene.

“Dangerous job every day. Those guys have family and stuff that they have to come home to their kids also,” said Sands.

Now, the shooting has Sands thinking twice about those around him.

“Watch out for our surroundings around the people that we live around and the way the world coming up. I mean treat everybody with kindness and respect and kindness will surely come back to you,” he said. “If we're going to live out here in this community let's all do the right thing. If they're doing the right thing, and we're doing the right thing everybody should go home safely."

Treadwell remains in the hospital. Wooten says he'll be charged with aggravated assault on law enforcement officers.